Newsroom

On the occasion of the 19th European and World Day against the Death Penalty, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès reaffirms Belgium’s commitment to the universal abolition of the death penalty.

July 30 marks the International Day against Human Trafficking, a global phenomenon that concerns every country in the world, including Belgium. Human trafficking can take many forms, such as sexual or economic exploitation, and even involve the sale of organs. However, it always bereaves victims of their human dignity and places them in unbearable, humiliating and degrading situations.

In 2004, May 17th was declared International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). In honor of this day, the Egmont Palace in Brussels will be illuminated in the colors of the rainbow flag from Sunday, May 16 to Tuesday, May 18. 

On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, current events remind us to be vigilant in the face of words and actions that remain unacceptable and unfortunately affect all societies. If the fight against racism is part of our values as a central pillar of our democracies, it is also a legal obligation for Belgium, since our country ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1975 and has a legal framework for the fight against racism. In 2020, at the initiative of former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, Belgium established an inter-ministerial conference on the fight against racism and anti-Semitism to better coordinate the actions of the country's various authorities in this area. They are currently working on an inter-federal action plan. We must indeed continue our efforts in Belgium.

March 8 is International Women's Day. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and Minister of Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy Meryame Kitir emphasize that the promotion and protection of women's rights is and will remain a priority of Belgium's foreign policy and development cooperation.

On the occasion of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès reaffirms Belgium's commitment to improving the protection of children in armed conflict. The United Nations aims to improve the situation of these children by addressing the six most serious violations of children's rights: killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools or hospitals, denial of access to humanitarian aid and finally, the recruitment of child soldiers. Last year, the UN Secretary General reported no less than 25,000 gross violations of children's rights in some twenty countries. One in three of those violations is attributed to state actors.

Today is the International Human Rights Day. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir underline that Belgium remains committed to the protection and promotion of all human rights for all.

On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9, Belgium joins the campaign of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): "Recover With Integrity".

November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the beginning of the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence" campaign.

Today the world celebrates International Children's Day. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Protocols urge countries around the world to make policy changes and align legislation with the rights of the child, to invest in specific areas such as education, to take measures against the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and child labor, and to protect children in armed conflicts.